Vol. 4 No. 27 USA vs. Soviet Union 1964 Day 2

                            USA  vs USSR     1964                      Day Two
                           
                                                      Day One Totals

                             Men     USA  54                    USSR   39

                       Women     USA  27                   USSR   22

400 IH  
Fortunately Sunday, the 26^th, is cloudy and cooler. The intermediate hurdles are up first and Billy Hardin and Rex Cawley are setting their blocks. The Russians don't figure to stop a US sweep and indeed they don't. There is no description of the race, but there is a photo of what appears to be the eighth hurdle with Hardin holding a three yard lead. Judging from this, we must assume that Cawley owns the rest of the race as he wins in 49.5 with Hardin running 50.2. The Russians run 51.1 and 52.3. Cawley is concerned that he may be peaking too soon. “That 49.5 scares me a little. Maybe I'm too sharp when you consider that I have to keep that sharpness all the way through October. I have done very little work on the hurdles since I ran 49.8 at the Olympic semis. So I must credit those 500 yard workouts I've been having with Ulis Williams for my strong finish.”

                                  USA     8                USSR   3
                    Total    USA    62              USSR   42


200 Meters

While the high jump, discus and triple jump have started, the next event on the track is the 200, perhaps the most assured sweep of the meet. Henry Carr is the world record holder. Yesterday he won the 100 by four tenths. Today he runs 20.5 to beat teammate Paul Drayton by five tenths. The Russians both run 21.3. Chalk up another 8-3 result for the US.

                                             USA    8            USSR   3
                               Total    USA   70          USSR   45

Discus

As so often mentioned in our reports, in the discus there is Al Oerter and then there is everybody else. Wind Big Al up and he automatically throws 200+. Today is no exception. He fires one out 200-5½ to top Jay Silvester's 193-3 and the 189-9 and 186-1½ of the Russians. Another sweep for the good guys. Isn't this fun?

                                       USA  8          USSR   3
                 Total            USA  78        USSR   48

800 Meters

One always hears about momentum in other sports, but is there momentum in track where there are separate events? Well, apparently there is, at least today. Our 800 guys keep the hits coming. Jerry Siebert runs away from the field in 1:47.5 while Darnell Mitchell easily holds second place in 1:48.8. The Russians go 1:49.9 and 1:52.4. Sweep number four this afternoon.

                                      USA   8         USSR  3
                      Total      USA  86       USSR  51


Triple Jump

Now it's the triple jump, an event in which we appear to be severely outclassed. The Russians have PR's of 54-10 and 54-7½. Ira Davis is the American record holder at 53-10, but that was four years ago and he has competed infrequently since then. Bill Sharpe has a PR of 52-4. Our sweep streak of the afternoon will end here.

There is no sweep, but that is good news as the predicted sweep would be by the Russians. To the amazement of the experts, Ira Davis wins and increases his American record to 53-11. The Russians jump 53-1 ½ and 52-0. Bill Sharpe manages 50-5½. This is the first American triple jump victory in the series. Davis' mark ranks him number three on the world list this year. 

                                                         USA   6           USSR   5
                      Total        USA  92          USSR   56

Steeplechase

 

The steeplechase shapes up as one of the best races of the meet. The Russians are favored but our guys, George Young and Jeff Fishback, have a slugger's chance. They are 1-2 on the all time US list. Young has the US record at 8:38.0 but Fishback beat him by over five seconds three weeks ago in winning the Olympic semifinal meet in 8:40.4. Eduard Osipov, off his 8:34.4, seventh on the all time world list, is the favorite. Lazar Naroditskiy has a best of 8:38.2. Russian hopes of winning the meet died yesterday, but this is a chance to right the ship somewhat.

The four run together for six laps. Young makes his move and pulls away just as Naroditskiy drops back. Now the battle is for second. The five foot four inch Osipov and the lanky Fishback run together on the final lap. Fishback gains two yards on the last water jump only to have Osipov regain the advantage in the straight. But Fishback isn't done. With the crowd urging him on, he passes the diminutive Russian on the final hurdle and beats him to the tape by two yards, 8:43.6 to 8:44.0. Young is the winner at 8:42.1. Once again it is an American sweep.

                                         USA   8        USSR   3
                            Total   USA  100    USSR   59

High Jump

Ed Carruthers and John Rambo are up against world record holder Valeriy Brumel in the high jump. The Russian's best is more than four inches better than what either American has jumped. One by one they drop by the wayside. The second Russian, Andrey Khmarskiy, a seven foot jumper, goes out after clearing 6-8½. Carruthers is eliminated after a 6-10½ clearance. Rambo jumps 7-0½ before his day is done. Brumel clears 7-3½ to cement the win. He then takes three jumps at 7-6, a quarter inch over his world record. None are close. Though the visitors can take comfort in winning the event 6-5, it is obviously too little too late.

                                        USA  5       USSR  6
                            Total  USA 105   USSR  65

USA   3   USSR   8
Total  USA  108            USSR  73  

The great javelin thrower Janis Lusis is just beginning what will be an astounding career. His 270-11¼, combined with Vladimir Kutznetsov's 265-2½, gives the Russians their third sweep of the meet. Frank Covelli and Jan Sikorsky throw 262-6 and 253-6½. 

Decathlon

 

Lusis' career may be on the upswing, but that of the great Russian decathlete, Vasiliy Kusnyetsov, after ten years of top flight international performance, is on the decline. Today he has enough in the tank to leave his competitors well behind with a score of 7842 (no marks given). Don Jeisy increases his PR by two points to 7670. The battle for third requires some explanation. Mikhail Storozhenko and Russ Hodge tie at 7444. The Russian takes third on the basis of having bettered Hodge in six of the ten events. There will be better days, much better days for young Russ.

USA   5     USSR    6

Total   USA   113     USSR    79

1500 Meters

The program lists the US entrants in the 1500 as Dyrol Burleson and Jim Grelle, yet this is Morgan Groth lining up next to Grelle. No explanation is given. No description of the race is given. Grelle, a tried and true international veteran, coasts to a one second victory over Ivan Belitskiy in 3:41.3. Groth has a hard time of it, but tops badly outclassed Aldofas Aleksiejunas 3:45.7 to 3:52.0 for third.

                                            USA  7        USSR    4
                                Total  USA  120   USSR    83

5000 Meters

How many of you recognize that Bob Schul is wearing his Dayton Athletic Club singlet in this picture?

As competitive as the steeplechase chase was, the 5000 has the prospect of being even better. Bob Schul's 13:38.0 tops the world list. But the Russians counter with 1960 Olympic 10,000 meter champion Pytor Bolotnikov who has run 13:38.6 this year. The second Russian, Kestutis Orentas, has a formidable 13:45.0 to his credit. Bill Dellinger, with a PR of only 14:04.8, seems over matched. The race has an educational tinge to it. The program lists Bolotnikov and Dellinger as teachers and Schul and Orentas as students.

As Schul has a wicked kick, the obvious strategy for the visitors is take the race out at a stiff pace. Obvious to all except the Russians apparently. The pace dawdles. At ten laps it is only two and a half seconds faster than the pace Ivanov set in the 10,000. Yet the pace doesn't pick up and pack is together at the bell. The Americans can't believe their luck. The Russians have allowed the race to become a 400 meter sprint. On the backstretch Dellinger is the first to take off. Schul responds and pulls away decisively. It is over that quickly. Schul's last 400, in which he wasn't flat out until the backstretch, goes off in 54.4. Dellinger can't match that, but he leaves Orentas 25 yards in his wake. Bolotnikov is a well beaten last. Schul 14:12.4, Dellinger 14;14.2, Orentas 14:18.0, Bolotnikov 14:20.0.
                                             USA  8       USSR   3
                                 Total  USA  128  USSR  86

 The final race, the 1600 meter relay, is the very definition of anticlimactic. It is as if our guys are running a time trial. Ollan Cassell (46.8), Henry Carr (45.3), Mike Larrabee (45.5) and Ulis Williams (45.8) coast home with a 60 yard margin in 3:03.4.

USA  5    USSR  0
Total  USA   133     USSR    86

Game Set and Match

With ten sweeps and both relay wins, it has been a pretty good couple days for the US. Add to that the world records of Long and Hansen and toss in Jerry Lindgren's stunning upset in the 10,000 and you can understand why everyone is smiling as they leave the Coliseum. We can only hope the good mood will last long enough for them to get home before they revert to the ill-humored miscreants Cordner Nelson describes and start beating their wives.

The Women

USA  8     USSR   3
Total   USA  35    USSR  25

80 Meter Hurdles

USA  3    USSR   8
Total   38    USSR   33

800 Meters

USA 3    USSR  8
Total  41   USSR  41

Shot Put

USA 3      USSR  8

Total   USA    44  USSR  49*

*Track and Field News and our chronicler Steve Lincoln did not record the outcome of the women's shot put.  Until we find that result from some other source, in an effort to improve international relations between our countries, we at Once Upon a Time in the Vest are going to concede a sweep to the heroic Soviet Women's team.   We are asking in return that Vladamir Putin order an immediate withdrawl of Russian forces back 5Km from the Eastern Ukranian border.    We will also throw in 40 cases of Budweiser and some coupons for a 10 percent discount at Subway good until the end of the month but  ask that our Russian friends send over 2 cases of Stolynicha  vodka.  Spasiba.

Long  Jump

USA   4    USSR   7

Total   USA Women    48   USSR Women  56

USA Men 133   USSR Men  86

Combined Scores

USA  181     USSR  142

American prospects for the Olympics look rosy, but there are still two months before the Games, a long time to hold a peak. It is important to understand that much of the rest of the world is just starting its track season and will be heard from.

Ludwig Danek
(B. Jan. 6, 1937   D.  Nov. 15, 1998)

Just a week after the US – USSR meet, in the little Bavarian town of Turnov, Ludvik Danek steps into the discus ring for his first throw. When he steps out, he is the new world record holder. The giant Czech throws the platter 211-9½, a jaw dropping five feet three inches beyond the mark of Al Oerter. Big Al has two Olympic gold medals in his sock drawer. There may not be a third.

The French 400 meter relay team sets a European record of 39.2, just a tenth off the American world record. This may be the result of the new rule permitting relay runners to start ten meters before the passing zone, but our guys had the same advantage in the Russian meet and only ran 39.4. Yes, our team was without Bob Hayes, yet the French have put themselves in position for an upset.

Peter Snell , Murray Halberg, Barry Magee, and Alan McKight

Little has been heard from down under. Australian Ron Clarke has been running well in Europe, recently defeating the formidable Michel Jazy at 5000 meters, but New Zealand's Olympic champions, Murray Halberg and Peter Snell, have been laying low, although the word is out that Snell will attempt an 800 – 1500 double.

Witold Baran

Witold Baran of Poland has positioned himself squarely in the 1500 picture off his recent European record 3:56.0 mile. Steeplechase WR holder Gaston Roelants of Belgium has already run 8:31.8 and is a strong favorite in this event. Venezuela's Horatio Esteves has just run 10.0 to tie the world record. US trained Trinidadians, Kent Bernard and Wendell Mottley, have run 45.7 and 45.8 and are definite threats in the 400.

It is a long time until the Tokyo Games begin and a lot can happen. When it does, we will be there to tell you about it. Our next report will cover the second US Olympic Trials in which the remainder of our team will be selected. Stay tuned.



   And now for that bit of trivia which we throw out every so often so that you will have an advantage when the track crowd gathers Friday night at the Dew Drop Inn. Bob Timmons, Jim Ryun's coach at Wichita East, has taken a job as assistant coach at the University of Kansas. He speaks of his protege's workout program. “Jim is on a two a day program at his home in Wichita. He will continue on the program we worked out until the middle of August. Then he will come to Lawrence and workout with me until the Olympic trials. The emphasis will be on quality, with more speed work. Meanwhile.......(wait for it)......he will continue to service his paper route.”  If Jim Ryun was your paperboy and you didn't get your paper, would you call in with a complaint? Really?

     (Note: A special thanks to Steve Lincoln of Ukiah, California, who, as a rosy cheeked youngster, saw both days of the US – USSR meet. Steve was kind enough to furnish our reporting crew with his meet program. It was a great help. Thank you, Link.)